Conservatorium of Music
Thursday Concert Class
Thursday Concert Class
| Etude Op. 33 No. 3 | Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873 - 1943) |
| Reuben Leng, piano | |
| Rachmaninoff's first set of Etudes-tableaux were written in the Russian countryside a few years after his first American tour. This etude was one of the few initially withdrawn from the opus 33 publication and published posthumously. | |
| Legend No.2 "St. Francois de Paule marchant sur le flots" | Franz Liszt (1811 - 1886) |
| Anna Gao, Piano | |
| The second of Liszt's Deux Légendes, a set of two works. The second work is based on a story of st francis of Paola, according to which he performed the miracle act of walking on water after he was refused passage across the strait of Messina by the boatman. | |
| Etude Op. 40 No.7 | Nikolai Kapustin (1937 - ) |
| Timothy Kan, Piano | |
| A very lively and vibrant etude that fuses jazz characteristics with classical virtuosity, highlighting syncopated rhythms and stride piano in particular. | |
| Ballade No. 2 | Franz Liszt (1811 - 1886) |
| Timothy Kan, Piano | |
| This ballade has often been linked with the story of Hero and Leander, but it is more generally accepted to have been inspired by Gottfried Bürger’s ballad Lenore. The piece opens up with a chromatic undertow that sets up an ominous atmosphere. It is then contrasted with a lighter and sweeter theme. Throughout the piece, one can observe the episodic elements of a ballad and how Liszt uses them for thematic transformation. | |
| Etudes Op. 10 No. 2 & Op. 25 No. 6 | Fryderyk Chopin (1810 - 1849) |
| Hannah Shin, Piano | |
| Chopin's Etudes are the known as the first concert etudes to be composed for the piano. Op. 10 No. 2 ("Chromatic") explores the playing of chromatic scales with fingers 3-4-5, and Op. 25 No. 6 ("Thirds") is a study for developing double thirds. These two etudes are often considered to be a pair, as the fingering patterns are very similar for the playing of chromatic scales with 3-4-5. | |
| Andante Spianato and Grande Polonaise, Op. 22 | Fryderyk Chopin (1810 - 1849) |
| Hannah Shin, Piano | |
| The Grande Polonaise is originally a work for piano and orchestra, although more frequently performed in the solo version. The Andante Spianato was added to the work after a few years the completion of the polonaise, joined by a fanfare-like sequence, and the complete work was arranged for the solo version four years after its completion. | |
| Grab It! | Jacob ter Veldhuis (1951 - ) |
| Bailey Hume, Saxophone | |
| Grab It! is based on voice samples from life-sentenced prisoners. The rough vitality of their verbal abuse matches the harsh sound of the tenor sax. GRAB IT! is a kind of duet, a 'dual’ if you like, for tenor sax and speech grooves.The meaning of the lyrics becomes gradually clear during the piece, as well as the hopeless situation for the prisoners. In jail suicide is not uncommon. But in a way, death row is also a metaphor for life: The piece is not just sad, but can also be understood as a ‘memento vivere’. Life is worth living: Grab it! | |